a note for Sini Anderson

Dear Ms. Anderson, I doubt you will ever read this, but here goes. I just recently watched The Punk Singer for the first time even though I am an old-school Hanna fan (I've seen her perform in the early 90s and still have ALL her albums on heavy iTunes rotation).

As a fanboy I am grateful that you made this documentary. However, a few things really irritated me. Namely, the fact that you let Hanna be involved in your decision making as a filmmaker, which violates a fundamental tenet of documentaries.

Hanna should have been completely EXCLUDED from the entirety of the film, including her interviews. Perhaps at the very end you could have had a "finally tracked her down" conclusion where she reveals on camera her tragic illness and explains why she disappeared from the music scene.

But allowing her to dictate to YOU that no men be allowed in this documentary (except her husband, the legendary Ad Rock) really ruined the experience for me. In fact, I would have also completely cut out Ad Rock's scenes, except for maybe the ending.

Leaving out Billy Karren is just shameful. Not to mention all the supportive male music journalists and musicians who helped put Bikini Kill on the map. It was disingenuous, malicious and misandrist to not interview men, and just lousy filmmaking on top of it.

Moreover, by not interviewing Hanna's female detractors, such as Courtney Love, you did a disservice to her legacy. Giving Love et al some say would have supported and enhanced Hanna's cause. Perhaps it could have even resulted in some bridge-mending. Instead, you treat her with kid gloves like some servant to a princess, which is NOT what Bikini Kill was about.

I take the time to write this because this really could have been a powerful and epic tribute to a powerful and epic musician. But by catering to her current whims, and by excluding men and naysayers, you have not done Hanna or her movement justice.

Peace...